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Dies ist das Transscript zum Interview mit Ayu, welches am 8.12.2006 auf CNN (Programm: Talk Asia) lief.
Ayu (english) - Ayu hat auf Englisch geantwortet
Ayu (japanisch) - Ayu hat auf japanisch geantwortet und es wurde übersetzt.
A - Atika Shubert, die Interviewerin

Atika Shubert: Tell us a little bit about your album. First of all, why is it called "Secret"?
Ayu (englisch): Yeah, it's called "Secret" because everyone has a secret, right. Of course I have a secret, I think maybe you too. So..but I can't explain to you because if I told you, it's no a secret but I hope this album will reach people's heart.
A: What would you say is the inspiration behind this album?
Ayu (englisch): My inspiration comes from deep inside, you know, uhm they're just feelings, not words. I think feeling and words - of course similar but not the same. That's why I can't change my feelings into words because I have these feelings and that's why I can continue to sing.
A: So what inspired you to become an artist and a musician?
Ayu (japanisch): I originally did not have any ambition to become famous or to become an artist like this.I have not at all expected in any way that I would become famous in this way but at the very beginning when I started singing at the age of 19, I prepared myself and made myself ready to except many different things that would happen. Such as the responsibility that comes with fame, the lack of freedom that I experience and my role as a performer and as an artist. So at that point I was finally ready to take on all those things and I began my singing career.
A: Did you ever imagine yourself in that role and how did your friends and family react to your fame?
Ayu (japanisch): When I began to sing professionally I decided to accept all those consequences. Of course, along the way, some people left me and some people have stayed with me. Some people have changed their attitude towards me and others have remained the same. Of course that's not something that I'm pleased with but I suppose you could say that I knew that would happen and it's a situation I was well prepared to handle. So in many respects I was okay with those changes happening. The people who have stayed with me, alongside me until today are those who knew me before I became famous, before I was the person I've become today. They are the people who have continued to love me and have stayed alongside me. The relationship I have with these people is very real and all of them are very important to me.
A: What is the thing you love most about being a star and what's the thing you like the least?
Ayu (japanisch): That's very difficult to say and difficult to figure out. I would say that in many respects it's both sides of the coin. It's hard for me to figure out how to explain exactly what I like and dislike most about being a star because there is really only a paper thin difference between the things with respect to my fame that make me happy and the things about fame that make me very sad.
A: You regularly top the charts - what do you credit to your success? What makes you different from other artists?
Ayu (japanisch): I'm only myself. I could be nobody else other than me. I am who I am. I don't know the difference between myself and any other person or artist and I can't compare because I was never that person. Listeners are able to choose which music they like to listen to on their own, by themselves. They decide for themselves what kind of lyrics they love the most. It is very hard for me to compare myself with other singers and performers. I have never done that and I would never like to do it either. I only know about myself. If the people think I'm doing very well and being very successful, I think that is because I'm very sincere about everything. I tackle everything sincerely. That's the biggest reason for my own personal success, I guess and I think being very honest in life is another thing. Having said that, I think it is actually very difficult to distinguish between being honest and being selfish. I myself am very childish so I sometimes get confused about the border between being honest and being selfish. Anyway, the important thing is this: what I care about most is being honest about myself and to be sincere with other people.
A: You said there is a borderline between being honest and being selfish..it's that way because you're still a child but do you ever see yourself outgrowing that?
Ayu (englisch): I don't think so. Maybe I'm child forever until die.
A: Really?
Ayu (englisch): Yeah. I think so.
A: Do you want to be?
Ayu (englisch): Yes. I don't wanna become adult. Uh yeah..
A: That reminds me of something you said earlier about it being a dream.
Ayu (english): I wanna keep like this me. This is real me..I think forever..not gonna change. I can't change.
A: You're known for your lyrics being unique and deeply personal. What has inspired those lyrics for you?
Ayu (japanisch): My job is to simply be myself, to be Ayumi Hamasaki. I might have a day during which I feel upset or sad or perhaps a day where I feel very happy about something. No matter what my mood, my job is to sing as Ayumi Hamasaki all the time regardless of how I'm feeling on any particular day. For instance, when I'm performing on a music show I would have just five minutes to sing one of my songs. My job is to sing a song of Ayumi Hamasaki in just a short five minutes of time. It doesn't matter whether I feel sad or angry at any given time. Of course, I don't always want to show those feelings either but what can I say, I have feelings too as I'm a human being so I put the emotion into all my songs. It's often hard to put such feelings into words, into lyrics for a song. Sometimes there is a certain truth that you can't explain or communicate to others. Because my lyrics are so real and so emotional, fans feel empathy and they are able to have a certain connection to my music.
A: You are also known for your unique, frequently changing style. Why do you change your style so often and when you do change your style, are you changing your identity or your character each time?
Ayu (japanisch): No, uhm, the media talks about my fashion sense quite often but in reality I simply like clothes and shoes. There is really no more to it than that. I never made an effort to be particularly extraordinary or completely different from others when it comes to what I wear. I just put on the clothes that I want to wear at the time. The most important thing for me is, like you said in your question, not to change my character with fashion but to remain true to who I am. Whatever I wear, wherever I am or whatever I do, it is most important to be myself. Whether I happened to be wearing patchy sweat suite or dressed up in a pretty dress like I am today, I think it is most important that I am just myself.
A: So it is an expression of yourself?
Ayu: Yes.
A: You have all these fashion changes and these deep depressive lyrics - where do you find the inspiration for these new ideas?
Ayu (japanisch): I often find myself saying "Oh it is coming down to me now" when I get the inspiration to create music. I do not create something only because I have to. Of course I sometimes have to make music because it's my job but when I really want to create something, some mysterious power - I don't even know what it is..it pours down on me quite bristly and it gives me a surprising power and it helps me to create great music. It always catches me in disbelieve. That happens to me quite often.
A: You know you always have to be Ayu Hamasaki, so I'm wondering, do you ever get to have a holiday? Do you ever get to have a break from being that icon?
Ayu (englisch): I don't think .. like a holiday. Of course my staff too..but we are so workaholic. That's no problem. Yeah, we're so happy when I work hard.
A: So you're happy working?
Ayu: Yeah.
A: Without a holiday at all?
Ayu (englisch): I don't need it. But just right now, I don't know about future. Maybe I should rest, maybe I need a rest.
A: How important is it for you to retain creative control over your music and your image? And how do you do that?
Ayu (japanisch): Originally, the reason I started keep tight control over all my productions was because I did not want to blame others if the production failed. If I decide to do something all by myself, it all comes back to me, it is my responsibility. That way, if something goes wrong, I can say It's my own fault because I chose to do this at that time. If I leave it to somebody else, I have to ask the person why things went the way they did. I didn't want to do that so that's why I went to everything by myself and why I controlled every single bit of my production so that I can take all the responsibilities on my own. That is how it all started but as time passed I found professionals in each field and I could leave many of the responsibilities to them. I also changed my approach because of the trust and the ties I've had to these people over the years working together. Now I would like to find professionals like these, as many as possible, to move my team along efficiently.
A: So how then do you see your role and responsibility as an artist but at the same time your responsibilities as a business?
Ayu (japanisch): You might have a certain image of me in which fans approach me or talk to me when I'm walking on a street where I always try to excuse myself saying "It is private time for me now". But I think in fact that I am much different than this image. For instance, there might be a day when I choose to do some personal shopping but to my fans I am Ayumi Hamasaki wherever and whenever they see me. It does not matter to them whether I am working or not, so I believe I have the responsibility to be Ayumi Hamasaki all the time, anywhere. The same thing applies to my staff. We all carry the name of Ayumi Hamasaki and we all have to build and maintain our lifestyle with the sense of responsibility that goes along with it. I consider it my responsibility and role to be Ayumi Hamasaki.
A: How do you know what sells then?
Ayu (japanisch): There should be no falsehood in my music. My songs do not have any lies. How can I put this...I always believe that in music the truth will always prevail. I'm confident that as long as I sing no lies and stay truthful to my fans, they will understand my music and continue to buy it. The reason that I am able to sell my music is because my fans understand me and feel empathy for what I sing to them.
A: Who do you consider as a hero or somebody to model youself after in that case?
Ayu (englisch): It's my mom.
A: Your mom?
Ayu (englisch): Yep.
A: Why?
Ayu (englisch): I really love and respect my mom very much because she worked hard all her life to make me happy. That's why I wanna work hard to make others for example..my staff, for my fans, of course my mom happy too like that.
A: Look into the future a little bit. Do you plan to enter other markets like other parts of Asia or the US even?
Ayu (englisch): No I'm just thinking about Asia because I have asia tour next year from march to end of june. This show..it's gonna be real cool. No doubt...I think so or I hope so. But if people will listen, I will go anywhere in the world.
A: Even in the US?
Ayu: Yeah. Of course.
A: What is the next direction you would like to explore? Is there something new you would like to do that you haven't done yet?
Ayu (englisch): I don't know yet because always..my idea...from god, like that. That's why I don't know yet, I don't know about future. I don't know about tomorrow. I can just concentrate for today, or on present right now.
A: If you didn't have music as a career, where do you see yourself? What would you be doing now?
Ayu (englisch): I don't think about it but yeah..so..because basically my love is music, music is my life. If I didn't have music or I can't sing anymore, it's like I die, I'm nothing because music is everything, you know. That's why.
A: In that case, ten years, twenty years from now, where do you see yourself?
Ayu (englisch): Yeah, about the future...I wanna keep write and sing but I do not think about future too much because present is most important for me..always..you know..that's why I don't know yet about my private future because private is private, right. I wanna keep my private secret.
A: Ayu, thanks for joining us today.


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